The 15 Best Apps for Dog Lovers and Pup Parents

Have you ever wanted to know if it’s okay that your dog just ate the guacamole off the counter? Or maybe it’s 4am and your dog is throwing up — was it the guacomole?! — and you wish you could speak to a vet ASAP. Like everything else these days, there’s an app for that – and all sorts of useful pup-related things. These are 15 you need on your phone right now!

Why You Need It: Clicker training! It’s a thing! Yes, you can buy real clickers, but this is FREE and most importantly, unlike real clickers, this one is impossible to lose. (Unless you, like me, can’t seem to remember where you left your pho–oh my god it’s in my hand, then you need a different app entirely.)

Why You Need It: At $0.99, it’s cheaper than a lot of the other pet first aid apps but still manages to have all the tools you might need in case an emergency strikes. You can locate the nearest vet hospital, learn to treat everything from allergic reactions to bleeding, and find out what’s just normal, crazy, puppy behavior.

Why You Need It: This app lets you talk to a vet, pet trainer, or whatever other pet professional you might need to talk to, anywhere, anytime. Is your pup looking chubby? Send a pet nutritionist a photo to find out if you need to get him onto a diet pronto. Also did I mention this app is free? It’s free.

Why You Need It: I remember using the MapMyRun app while walking my dog and joking that they should make a MapMyDogWalk app (Don’t worry. My dog didn’t think it was funny either), and turns out it’s a real thing! It’s a great way to keep track of how much exercise your dog is really getting, although don’t be as bummed as I was when your “long walk” turns out to only be a mile and a half.

Why You Need It: This app lets you find a certified and trained dog walker in your area, schedule those dog walks, and pay through the app. You can even watch the route the dog walker takes your pup on! Accountability, and a way to ensure the dog gets walked? Sounds pretty good. You can also select dog walkers based entirely off their photo, which is probably exactly what I would do.

Why You Need It: If you’re like me and you can’t show anyone your photo feed because it contains pictures of your dog, selfies with your dog, and then more photos of your dog, you need this right now. This app has a function that gets your lovely pup all perked up and actually looking at the camera! If that’s not earth shattering enough, you can also add fun stickers to your photo, add doggone adorable filters with names like “vintage pup”, and more cool things!

7. Because your dog got sick of all those selfies and ran away there’s…

Why You Need It: In order for this app to be of any use you have to buy the tracker ($99.95) annnnd pay a monthly subscription fee. However, if your canine is a runner this seems incredibly worthwhile. You get an alert when your dog leaves the house and can track your dog in real time as they cavort around the neighborhood.

Why You Need It: He’s smiley, a bit hairy, and really can’t wait to go home with you, and no it’s not that weird guy who just asked you if it hurt when you fell from heaven… it’s a fluffy puppy! BarkBuddy lets you find single puppies near you who need a good home. Browse through thousands of pup profiles and find your pawfect match. And it’s ridiculously, adorably, addicting!

Why You Need It: “Who’s going to watch the dog?” is always a huge conversation in my house. Now you never need to worry about throwing your dog in a kennel again! DogVacay allows you to find your perfect pup sitter who will then send daily pupdates throughout your vacation.

Why You Need It: BringFido allows you to find pet friendly hotels, restaurants, parks, beaches, and tons more. You can also book your hotel, look up their pet policy, and use filters to find the hotels that would best fit your dog. Super useful if you have a large dog, or are in a new town and want to grab dinner with your best furry friend.

12. Because you’re bringing your dog on that vacation, and they need to work off some extra energy stat there’s…

Why You’ll Need It: DoggyDatez helps you find furends to have playdates with near you. There’s also a foursquare-like function that allows you to “mark your territory” so other dogs and their owners know who’s the boss in your area.

Why You Need It: PetDiary is an easy, visual, way to monitor your dogs weight, medications, and whatever else comes to mind. You can also use it to jot down when your dog does something so adorable, you just want to remember it forever! Or at least until you get a new phone.